Class A State Tournament – Thursday’s Five Best

<p>It’s Dell Rapids vs SF Christian and Dakota Valley vs Sioux Valley tonight.  How did these teams get to the semis?  Top players controlling the pace.  Thursday’s best is highlighted by those pace setters. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="732179" first="Paul" last="Bruns"]</strong> of Dakota Valley (6’4 Sr Guard).  The theme of this Class A article is about controlling pace and Paul did that for the Panthers all game.  Bruns collected 19 defensive boards and moved the ball up the floor to dissect Winner.  It wasn’t with quick transition as much as it was the right movement for the right shots.  Had 21 boards and scored 22 points on 9 of 16 shooting.  Also credit senior [player_tooltip player_id="975570" first="Chayce" last="Montagne"] for pace control, Chayce had a great passing game (had seven assists and help set up about a dozen open shots). </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963742" first="Isaac" last="Bruns"]</strong> of Dakota Valley (6’4 Soph Guard).  When Paul wasn’t scoring, he or Montagne were setting up Issac and Isaac was unstoppable.  Winner was able to defend a few DV spots but they were spread to thin and Isaac took advantage. Isaac scored 31 points on 13 of 21 shooting with three threes.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="975510" first="Tyler" last="Prins"]</strong> of Sioux Falls Christian (6’3 Sr Guard).  Prins was the guy that really impressed me yesterday.  When it comes to "that guys is better than I thought", Prins gets that honor.  He is so much quicker with the basketball than I think people realize.  And Prins is a lot more agile/explosive than I think people realize.  His size and quickness gets him to open spots that others can’t get to plus his quickness forces smaller players to have to defend him. Prins had 20 points on 8 of 14 shooting and that release is pretty.  Four threes made pretty. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="732203" first="Colin" last="Rentz"]</strong> of Dell Rapids (6’0 Sr Guard).  What Rentz does is control the pace of the game.  And in giving Vermillion their first loss of the season, Rentz again controlled the tempo.  Maybe the biggest thing Rentz did was collect ten defensive boards and then either push for a high percentage shot, or make Vermillion work. His decision and Rentz picked his spots well.  Ten points, ten boards, five assists, his defense had to of forced at least six turnovers. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="975512" first="Xavier" last="Van Beek"]</strong> of Sioux Falls Christian (6’0 Sr Guard).  Like Rentz, I really enjoyed the way that Van Beek controlled the pace of the game with St. Thomas More.  The deliveries were timed perfectly.  Quick transition, snap entries to the wing, or grind it out.  Van Beek made the right call over and over.  Had 18 points and five assists plus Van Beek made four threes. </p>